46 Fairlady/September 2019Skin deep
muscles, stiffness, dry eyes,
headaches, skin rashes and even
loosened teeth, receding gums and
other dental problems.How can we boost it?
If you want to stop or delay
the process of your body losing
collagen, a good place to start is
making important lifestyle changes
such as exercising, drinking more
water and getting sufficient sleep,
says Dr Sinclair.
Food choices also make a huge
impact. ‘You can boost collagen
formation by eating high-quality
animal protein,’ says Creed. She
recommends bone broth and brawnas fantastic sources, as well as
certain types of fish. ‘The omega-3
fatty acids found in fatty fish such as
salmon, sardines, trout, pilchards
and cod liver oil support collagen
production.’ Creed believes you
can easily get enough collagen by
eating plenty of gelatinous meat,
cartilage from chicken drumsticks
and chicken skin every day.
But if eating meat doesn’t suit
your diet, supplements are an
option. While more research is
needed, some studies suggest that
collagen supplements can lead to
better skin, ease arthritis symptoms,
promote wound healing and fend
off muscle wasting. Supplements
are available in liquid, powder and
capsule form. ‘Most supplements
contain hydrolysed collagen, also
known as collagen peptides,’ says
Dr Sinclair. ‘Hydrolysed collagen
has essentially been broken down
into easy-to-process amino acids.’
There are products containing
collagen or that boost collagen
production on the SA market,
which are effective, but Dr Sinclair
points out that there are also
products out there that simply
can’t deliver. Due to the strength
of the active ingredient and the size
of the molecule, it isn’t absorbed
effectively. (See Need to Know box,
left, to find out what you need to
look for in a collagen supplement.)
Dr Sinclair personally uses
and recommends for her patients
a liquid collagen supplement that
contains 10 000mg of high-quality
type 2 hydrolysed collagen that has
a proven absorption rate of more
than 92%. Creed, however, prefers
her collagen in powder form. ‘The
supplement is soluble in both cold
and hot liquids, so it’s versatile:
you can bake with it or add it to
hot or cold food.’ She stirs it into
her morning coffee for extra
creaminess.1.Theprocessthecollagenhasbeen
through
Asmentioned,thebiggestproblemwith
collagenis thatit’stoolargeforyourbody
toabsorb.DrSinclairsuggestsyouchoose
hydrolysedcollagen,whichis moreeasily
absorbedbythebody.
2.Concentration
DrSinclairpointsoutthatyouneeda high
dosageof collagentotriggerthebody’s
‘woundrepair’response– at least10 000mg
a daytoeffectchangewithinyourbody.
3.Science-backedproducts
Withsomanyproductsonthemarket,it’s
importanttochoosea productbasedon
scientificstudiesthatprovethatit is
absorbedbythebody.Need to know
Lookatthefollowingbeforepickinga
collagensupplement,saysDrSinclair: